The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-25
The Culture of the Country.

Illinois Correspondence Country Gentleman.
If the city people had more culture and enjoy
nent than country people, should know it.
In my experience of nine years in the city.
always "roomed" in private house, ard also
got my meals at a private table most OF the
time, though / also ate at hotels and restau-
rants When first went to the city. lived
with working people; as my affairs prospered
and my income increased. l lived with mer
chants families, and finally among people,
though not the wealthiest, yet of wealth and
leisure. Since leaving the city have mixed
much with city people. Hence l have seen
home-lfe in the city in all its grades and phases
l found that the daily paper and a few light
novels constituted the entire reading matter OF
nearly every family. True there were excep-
tons, some people of very high culture, of
solid attachments; but compared with the
country they are rare. can readily believe
what lecturers will tell you, that they find the
most solid audiences In the country; that polish
will pass in the city, while brain is demanded
by the rural audiences: that while the city au-
dlence best appreciates weak wit, the country
people ask for thought. The publishers of the
leading magazines will tell You that their larger
reading constituency is in the country, and
know this must be so-fully half OF my coun-
try acduaintances read at Least one of the
literary magazines of the reviews while not
one-sixth Of my city acquaintances do: and
while in the city I roomed with but one family
that read magazine above the scklv senti-
mental grade. Nor city people such patrons
of the better class of plays one is easily led
to suppose. When Booth has large audience
here in the West, for instance. every paper in
the city has a column about it: but nothing is
said about the tens of thousands who regularly
patronize theaters that never have anything on
their boards which is not positively debasing;
and, of the audience that sees Booth, how many
60 simply because it is fashionable to do SO, not
because they really appreciate and enjoy his act
ingl In the city the roller-skating rink the
progressive euchre club. ETC., are crazes; IN
tensely popular because they require no mental
exertion. They afford culture, solid
enjoyment; they are the worst foes of culture,
and give a temporary excitement that soon
fails yet leave their unfortunate devotses I'M
fitted for real enjoyment It is such things as
these which are so popular in the city. The rink
is filled every night, while the solid lecturer On
an instructive theme is '.slow" and has small
audience. The farmer. sitting stupidity by the
fire, smoking his black, strong pipe is not a
pleasant pictures but better so than drinking
beer in basement or worshiplng baseball
champion. The farmers daughter milking cows
may not be altogether pleasurable to the
daughter aforesaid, but better so than with a
young man at the rink or at the low concert
hall at midnight
So far as the intellectual life is concerned the
condition of city work people is truly deplorable
Their reading, if they read at all. is confined TO
the lowest grade of literature. They read only
the worst part of the daily paper. Their CONVEX
sation never gets beyond idle gossip about their
acquaintance. ward politics prize fighters. base
ball. The girls can talk of only the number of
s'mashes' they have made Get higher among the
people and the same thoughtlessness and frivolity
prevail He who seeks mental activity and cult
ure, and the conditions which favor these
things, should go to the country rather than to
the city. But, lest be misunderstood, let me
say that there are exceptions. many of them.
have found many thoughtful people in the
city; and in the country there are people who
have not two ideas to knock together TO elicit
the spark of intelligence. Some farmers never
get beyond their little negnborhood with their
faat hair nd sFhey hav
of political economy. sociology, or literature.
They look at the sky only to forecast the
weather, and observe the blossoms only that they
may know when the seed will ripen. All their
aspirations spring from the earth, all their hopes
concern but land and focks. But they no,
| half. They are the minority, their oppo
| sites in the city the minority. Take all the
| country people and parcel out their stock Of
knowledge and thought. their fund of reading
and reading matter, their opportunities for rea
/ culture and intellectual growth and strength
/ getting-do the same for city people, and each
| countryman will have more than his city brother